The Queen
by hero-lynn
Summary: Set after the events of "The One", follow Maxon and America as they continue life as the new King and Queen and visit some very special places for touching moments. Written for my sister as a gift. COMPLETE


**Hi guys! So this story is a little out of my comfort zone, I'm not very good at romance. But my sister loves the Selection series and asked me to write a short story about what happened after "The One" and before "The Heir". It's just some lovey-dovey romance between American and Maxon, something to please my demanding sister ;) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Selection, any of the characters, or any songs associated with my story. (On that note, I suggest that you listen to "Say You Won't Let Go" by James Arthur while you are reading this...)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! **

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_I'm so in love with you_

"Mer!" I didn't even get a chance to open my mouth before May almost tackled me. I would've fallen on my back if my new husband hadn't been right behind me to catch me. I crouched down to my knees to wrap my arms around my little sister, soaking in her presence. Since the marriage, she was the first person not to call me "Your Majesty" and I was thankful for it. As I closed my eyes, she pulled back and dragged my left hand out, staring in awe at the ring on my finger.

May held it close to her face but didn't breathe, scared that even the tiniest breath would ruin its perfection. She was completely speechless, and when I saw it the first time, I felt the same way. The two birthstones-mine purple and Maxon's green-met at the top after a web of gold lines up the band. Nothing too big or elegant, but fancier than anything else I've ever had.

Once May finished looking at the ring, the second piece of special jewelry caught her eyes. May's jaw dropped, and I knew what she was looking at. Without a moment's hesitation, I took the crown off my head and held it out in front of me.

"Can… I touch it?" May asked hesitantly, fingers inches away from the cool metal, eyes begging to touch it. Ever since I got picked for the Selection, May had awed at all my new clothes and accessories. Sometimes I thought she was better cut out for this than me. But then I realized I would've never met the man I love. So for once, I was glad for the fancy clothes and fancy shoes. Yet the crown was one of the most fabulous items. The elegant curve of the metal created spirals at the front and crisscrossed across the bottom. A few jewels sparkled when the sunlight hit them. It was absolutely beautiful.

"I can do one better." Turning the crown around, I lifted it up and placed it on top of May's head, letting her wear the queen's crown. _My_ crown. I had purposely left the fancier crown at home, that one reserved for extra formal events or greeting people. We were just visiting my family, and I didn't want to wear the crown at all, but Maxon insisted. _You are the Queen, after all,_ he kept reminding me.

_And I hope you know_

I didn't even see my other siblings until they were right in front of me. Kenna put her hand on my shoulder and I reached up to squeeze it gently, while Gerad barreled into me and attached at my hip. We had been standing out on the porch for the last five minutes and it was a struggle to get inside with the weight of my siblings pulling at my dress. Mary made a dress fit for a queen, but also more of my style. As queen, instantly all my dresses had been upgraded to formal nearly all the time, but I still like to keep them as simple as possible.

The dress was a pale blue, nearly the same color the first time I had put on a royal dress and seen Maxon. The inside was fitted and settled nicely around my hips and legs, but a tulle overlay and a slight train made it cover more area. Light pink and purple flowers started at my waist and traveled up to my shoulders, that cut off at the shoulders. It had become one of my favorite dresses, one I truly enjoyed wearing.

Once inside, I got a good look at the house. Maxon had shown me a picture of the house he was going to give my family right before we got married, and it was perfect. They were Ones now, just like me, but they still got to keep their little homestyle lives with living on the outskirts of royalty. I saw the rest of my family: James sitting on the couch with my baby niece, my Mom in the kitchen working on some dinner, even Kota sitting on the couch in a pout as he stared at his fingers. Once May and Gerad had finally untangled themselves from me, I stepped in behind the counter and stared at my mother while she worked.

_Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

She didn't even seem to notice our arrival, slightly because we gave no advanced warning that we were showing up. But May's squeals of delight should've been some sort of sign. Before I could open my mouth to call her name, start the conversation, anything, she turned around and looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Your Majesty," she said with a trembling smile, bowing in a smile courtesy. I rolled my eyes and couldn't hold back the smile that crossed my face.

"Mom… please, I don't need to hear that from every single person that-"

"You are so beautiful," Mom cut me off, a single tear spilling down her cheek. "Your father would've loved to be here."

My words got choked in my throat as my own tears threatened to spill. As a reflex, my hand came up to my neck where the pendant he had given me used to hang around my neck. Memories flooded in, ones I couldn't hold back. The only thing I wanted was for my dad to walk me down the aisle, hand me off to the love of my life. And it never happened. The letter my mother had given to me stayed in my room, folded up in the envelope, but never sealed. Whenever I feeling sad or confused or needed something to focus me when I had to make a tough decision, I read the letter. His words always resounded through me. _Live your life. Be as happy as you can be, let go of the things that don't matter, and fight. _

"I know," was all I could force out without going into another bawling session. We hugged. I held on to her as tight as I could. I was almost afraid that if I let go, she would be gone too.

_We've come so far my dear_

When we finally pulled back, I turned to see my wonderful husband sitting on the ground in front of the couch, talking with May and Gerad. My mother kept one arm around my waist as we watched them from the kitchen. Maxon took off his own crown and balanced it on Gerad's head, laughing when it slipped off sideways. May kept inching closer, wanting to get close but not wanted to touch him in case she was overstepping boundaries. Maxon saw this and opened his arm up, inviting her into a hug and to sit next to him. May broke out in the biggest smile, and she curled up against his side. They all broke into laughter when Gerad stuck the crown on baby Astra's head which slid right down into her face.

"He's a good man. Your father liked him, had nothing but good things to say about him after they met." Tears sprung to my eyes once again at Mom's words. I remembered seeing the two of them talking in the garden of the palace, and I had always wondered what they said. "I like him," she finished with a smile on her face.

I watched my new husband as he played with my siblings, adoration, and pride warming my chest. "I love him."

"I know you do. And we know you'll do great as Queen. Both your father and I." I couldn't help myself as I hugged Mom a second time, emotions overwhelming. Maxon and I had stopped in for a quick visit, which later turned into a few hours until finally, we stayed for dinner.

I couldn't help but be amazed at how eased Maxon was with my family, how informal and sometimes embarrassing they could be. When Gerad burped a little too loudly, Mom had scolded him in harsh whispers, before Maxon broke out in a burp just as loud. I lost it at that point, seeing Maxon, the King, burp at my family's dinner table. It was just too perfect.

As it was nearing seven that evening, I finished tidying some things up around the house. Surprising both me and Mom, Maxon offered to help with dishes. Gracefully, Mom accepted, talking and even laughing with him. Maxon was her new son-in-law, whether he was the King or not. Not much later, we said our goodbyes and headed out. For the first time, May didn't cry when I left. No more long distances or hoping for a letter to show up just to hear how the other was doing. They were just in reach.

But just before I walked out the door, I got one final hug from Kenna. Her mouth was right next to my ear, and her question shocked me at first until I giggled.

"The honeymoon was better than I expected," I whispered back with sparkle and knowing look in my eye. Maxon and I had taken a few days after we got married to visit an island in Illéa's territory. It had been nice to get away, along with a few other pleasant surprises. Kenna smiled, and we both turned to look at her young child in her husband's arms. Then she turned back to me with an eyebrow slightly raised.

I could only smile. "Maybe one day."

Next thing I knew, Maxon was calling me, and we left my family's new house. We had requested that the guards keep some distance, but since we were now the King and Queen, they were still with us in case anything happened. Maxon and I strolled in silence, fingers entwined. We had just walked past the front entrance of the house when I stopped in the middle of the road.

_Look how we've grown_

"Can we make one more stop?" Maxon nodded and allowed me to lead him around the back of the yellow house, beside one of the biggest trees in the yard. Buried in the ground was a medium sized headstone, Dad's name engraved across the front. I hiked up my dress so the knees wouldn't be stained and kneeled in front of the stone. I pressed my fingers to my lips before letting them run over the carved picture of a songbird at the top. The same songbird as my pendant.

"I miss you so much," My voice broke and tears fell. I hung my head and let the fat tears hit the blades of grass below me. At that moment, I wasn't the Queen, I wasn't a girl who won the selection, I wasn't America. I was just a girl who was missing her dad.

Suddenly, I felt Maxon's arm across my shoulders, and I leaned into his touch. We had both lost too many people that we cared for, but we were each other's rocks. Nothing could bring us down when we were together.

"I'll take good care of her, sir," Maxon said confidently, gently touching the top of the headstone. A genuine smile broke out on my face, and I couldn't be more grateful that Maxon was here with me.

Once we finished, I wiped up my tears and we headed back for the castle, back to the busy royal life. Royal advisors and instructors swarmed the doors as soon as we stepped back into the building, but Maxon waved them all off. We officially had one more day for a honeymoon, but we wanted to spend it back at home. Home. It was weird, that I was calling the castle I had once only seen in the distance _home_. Weird that I was calling the boy who I thought was just a stuck up prince that I could never see myself loving my _husband_. Weird that I, just a girl who sung for cash to support her family, was now called _Queen._

We dodged past all the needy advisers and the anxious guards, ready to get out of sight. Maxon pulled me up to the fourth floor, into the parlor that not so long ago he had shown me for the first time. My excitement jumped when I remembered where we were heading. Reaching inside the fireplace like he did last time, Maxon flipped the latch and the fireplace slipped away, revealing that secret staircase. This time I didn't wait for Maxon, I sprinted up the stairs. I heard his shouted protests, something about cheating, and ignored them with a laugh. The rooftop had been created into our secret hideaway, someplace we could go when we just needed a moment to breathe.

Before I could get a chance to protest, Maxon grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him, falling into a familiar swaying motion. The same motion as the first time we had danced on the roof and the same when we dance after we got married. His hand on my waist and I put my hand in his. My dressed swished around me when I pressed my cheek onto his chest with his chin on top of my head. Slowly, he started humming the song that had played during our dance at the wedding. A beautiful song with wonderful lyrics, I hadn't known the artist but knew I loved the song from the moment I heard it.

Suddenly, a low rumbling in the distance had us both tense in a second, silently preparing for another rebel attack. The attacks had eased off since the dissolving of the castes, but the Southerners could attack at any moment.

The distress washed off as rain started to pour down on the castle, bringing laughter from my lips. I looked up at my husband as the rain dripped down his face, and brought my lips up for a kiss. The cool rain was nothing compared to the heat from the kiss, a rush that I would never get tired of. My body pressed up against his as the kiss went deeper, deeper than just skin and beauty. It was passion and happiness. It was love.

_And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old_

"Do you think we should go in?" Maxon asked, staring at my soaked dress and wet mop of hair on my head, but I shook my head.

"We need to say hi to some more people," I said vaguely after shaking my head, getting a raised eyebrow from Maxon. His face was a mask of confusion, but I gave him nothing else to work with. "C' mon," I said, tugging at his hand. We re-entered the castle, soaking wet, and I practically ran down the hallways.

"Shouldn't we change?" Maxon said, pulling shirt slightly away from his body, causing more water to drip to the ground.

"No, we're going back outside."

We caught a few guard's attention in my madman sprint down the halls, dragging a very confused King behind me. He had asked more questions along the way, but I refused to answer any more of them. He had been more than willing to see my family. Now it was time to see his.

Pushing through the backdoors of the palace, we walked through the garden as the rain turned into a slight drizzle. The gardens were my favorite place, but today was not just a walk through the extensive flowers and bushes. Nearing the edge of the garden and close to the palace walls, two large headstones stood above the ground, nearly as tall as me. Across the front bore the names of Maxon's only family. _Amberly Schreave. Clarkson Schreave._

Maxon covered his eyes with his hand, dropped his face down. I guess he was crying, but it was indistinguishable between the rain falling on us.

"You were so good with my family, we needed to come to say hi to yours as well." Maxon was speechless as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I hadn't seen him grieve for his parents after they had died, he was bombarded with suddenly being married and the King of a whole country.

I heard a choked thank you, and all I could do was offer support. Maxon pulled back with a grateful smile to sit down on the bench placed in front of the stones, while I stepped forward. I walked back up to the former Queen's headstone, gently touching the words carved into it.

I remembered the words she had spoken to me when I had accidentally called her mom. It was one of the most embarrassing and touching during my time at the castle.

"I know how much you wanted a daughter," I spoke quietly, knowing she could hear me either way. "I am honored to fill that position, Mom." I couldn't as I cried for the umpteenth time that day, for the second mom that I didn't get to spend the time I wanted to with. I cried for the mother and father of my husband, who would never see him grow up into the King they knew he would become. The man I loved.

_Just say you won't let go_

As I sat down on the bench next to Maxon, red-rimmed eyes met mine with a smile. "I love you, America Schreave."

"I love you, Maxon Schreave."

_Just say you won't let go _

I leaned into him for a deep kiss, one more than any other we've shared before. It held more than just feeling, it was feelings and words and passion and everything under the sun. For a moment there was nothing but us, sitting in the garden without a care in the world. Just us. I laid my head down on his shoulder, both of us watching the brushes shake with the droplets of water. Just then the rain stopped, bringing a cloudless sky with a sun that warmed us. He took my hand in his, and squeezed it gently, whispering in my ear.

"Be happy."

"I am."

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**As always... **

**Be Awesome, Stay Hilarious, Trust God and Love Avengers**

**-avengersashley**


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